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U-Pick fruit farms. Those are for yuppies, right?
That was sort of the attitude I had before I trekked out to Fresno Blueberry Farm & Nursery this past week, on an assignment to visit Fresno’s last U-Pick blueberry farm for our guide to U-Pick berry picking.
I pictured bougie city folk, wearing J. Peterman urban sombreros, traveling out to the sticks for just long enough to get a shot for the Instagram grid, paying a premium for the privilege.
To make a long story short, that was not at all what I found. I found an actual family farm, run by a retired plumber, who ambled his way out of his (admittedly adorable) house to greet us in shorts and sandals. As I’ve so often come to find, Fresno has a rare way in resisting becoming homogenized and gentrified. For all our faults, people here are almost congenitally incapable of putting on airs.
Instead we got vine-ripe berries still warm from the sun, much sweeter than anything you’d find in the supermarket. And cheaper too. I felt smart instead of like a rube. I also my most surprising pull-quote to date:
“I hire people to pick [in addition to the U-Pick operation], but my profits just go, because of the labor cost. I pay $18 an hour to pick for anybody that works for me. One guy, $20 an hour, but he died a couple weeks ago,” Grady says. “He was the guy that shot that cop.”
There’s really no way to properly contextualize that one; it felt out-of-context when it happened.
I guess what I’m saying is that you never know what you’re going to find until you get out there and search for it. So do it. I find, the story on the ground is always just different enough from the one in your head to keep things interesting. Especially in Fresno.
— Vince Mancini, Contributing Editor, Food
A trip to Fresno’s last U-pick blueberry farm
Plus, a guide to the other U-Pick blueberry stands in the central San Joaquin Valley. (Hurry before the heat ends the season!)
From ‘Fresno can too’ to ‘only in Fresno’: The Modernist unveils their new ‘Nostalgia’ menu.
This week’s local food news
Sweet Tomato has no imminent plans to return to Fresno. Today in Shocking News You Won’t Believe™, it turns out that Sweet Tomato has no concrete plans to return to Fresno. A TV station simply reported the company’s vaguely-worded press release as “Sweet Tomatoes could return to Fresno…” and got everyone’s hopes up, unnecessarily. I said as much last week, but it’s gauche to point out such things. [Instagram]
An Instagram chef from Fresno will compete on a new Food Network show. Fresno fitness coach-turned-sourdough influencer Mike Martin will appear on 100 Cooks, hosted by Terry Crews and Alex Guarnaschelli, competing for a chance to win $250,000. Don’t blow it, bro. [Business Journal]
Horn Barbecue appears to have closed. There was a sign saying that it would reopen on the door as of May 18, but it’s gone now, and there’s a legal notice in its place giving them until June 17 to leave the premises. Ah, well, I’m glad I got to try it when I could. For what it’s worth, the food was still pretty good. [Bee via Apple News]
Speaking of BBQ battles, MEGA Texas won The Fresno Bee’s reader poll for best tri tip sandwich. I haven’t tried their tri tip sandwich specifically, but it’s hard to say enough good things about MEGA Texas. Might have to change the name to MEGA Fresno BBQ soon. [Fresno Bee]
RIP to the co-founder of Johnny Quik. Ernie Beal, 79, passed away in Clovis this past week, according to his son. I feel blindsided by the news that his name wasn’t even Johnny. In any case, my son loves his work. The kid loves gas station candy. [KSEE24]
Sunny Hyde Up celebrated its one-year anniversary in Visalia. The 3,600 square foot “destination brunch spot” offering chicken and waffles, chilaquiles and churro French toast, will hold a celebration Friday, June 12th. Can someone go and explain to me what “Sunny Hyde Up” is a pun on? [Business Journal]
— Vince Mancini, Contributing Editor, Food
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